Check Out My Doll Diaries Post For A Hanukkah Craft!

Today on Doll Diaries I also put up a tutorial on how to make a Menorah T-shirt for your dolls. Please click here to visit the tutorial.

8th Gift of Hanukkah!

Well it is time to open the 8th and final gift of my Hanukkah Swap!

I opened the last of the swap packages and this one has the most fluffy fleece coat and hair band to match my dolls dress! A huge thank you to my partner for this swap and all the effort you put into making it so special for me! 
I hope you have enjoyed this years Hanukkah Swap and that you will check back again next year to celebrate with us again!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Hanukkah Gift #7

I have just opened the 7th gift from my Hanukkah Swap!

Oh how sweet was this sweater and hairband set! I love it!
Tomorrow I will open the last gift of the Hanukkah swap so be sure to check back in!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Sixth Gift of Hanukkah

Tonight is the sixth night of Hanukkah and I have opened such a lovely small package!

My wonderful partner sent the most beautiful jewelry for my dolls, I have been so very spoiled this season!
Come back again tomorrow night to see what I open next!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

5th Gift of Hanukkah!

Tonight I opened the 5th gift of my Hanukkah swap and there is what I got!

I opened what I am thinking is a long leotard/ onesie when paired with the tutu it makes more sense! It has the most lovely velour feel and softness, it is stretchy and embellished with an ice blue gem. The photos do not do it justice! Join me again tomorrow to see what I open next!

As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

4th Gift of Hanukkah!

It is time to revel the 4th gift of Hanukkah!

This was such a wonderful dolly accessory to unwrap! I love this doll sized Menorah! My partner really went to amazing effort for this swap!
Come back again tomorrow night to see what I open next.
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

3rd Hanukkah Gift!

Tonight we open the third gift of Hanukkah!

I opened a beautiful Star of David Dress! I love it!
Be sure to check back tomorrow night to see what I open next!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Hanukkah Gift Number 2!

Well it is time again to share my second Hanukkah Gift with all of you!

This package had a pair of silver ballet flat shoes and a silver hairband! So exciting I can not wait to put them on my doll!
Come back again tomorrow evening to see what I open next! Be sure to check back in the morning for my Advent series as well!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy First Night Of Hanukkah! This year I did a swap in my group to join in the Hanukkah Fun For Dolls. My Partner Sent 8 packages for me to open and I sent my partner 8 as well. I hope you will enjoy this series as well as my on going Advent series.

This was a stunning package to open! The light blue tutu and ballet shoes are darling!
I am so thankful to my partner for putting this swap together for me!

Don't forget to check out my Doll Diaries post today as well! Something for both the 18 inch and 6 inch dolls to enjoy this Hanukkah Season. Click here for the tutorial.

I look forward to sharing more from this swap with you again tomorrow.
Happy Hanukkah!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

2014 Advent Calender Swap!

Many of you may know that ever year I work on dolly advent calenders for one of my swap groups and this year I am so excited as all the items have arrived from my partners!
In our sewing group on line we have done an advent swap now for 4 years. Last year we changed the format so that we all sewed, bought or created 6 items for our partners advent calender and then we mailed them to our 4 partners. That we we all get an assortment of doll items made by each other.  The above photo is the first one I ever did and it was so much fun we decided to do it every year.

 

For 2012 We got smart! We used a 24 pocket over the door shoe holder to hold our gifts! This was a great idea and it makes wonderful doll clothes storage!

 

Last year I decided I would like to do one this year for Advent and the eight nights of Hanukkah, thanks to www.designmegillah.com 
So this year I am excited to do both!

 

This year Hanukkah is Tuesday December 16th to Wednesday December 24th 

 Here are the packages that have arrived for this years Advent Swap. I am looking forward to sharing these items as I open them through December. 

I hope you are inspired by today's post and that you may consider making your own Dolly Advent or 8 Night  wall hanging gifts for the Doll lover in your life.

I am already looking forward to our 2015 swap!

As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Jessica T's Tips: A Free Pattern Tutorial For A Doll Basket Bed Carry All From Mommy Sew Pretty!

Free Pattern From http://mommysewpretty.blogspot.ca/2013/01/doll-carry-basket.html

Today Jessica T's Tip is this wonderful basket you can sew for your baby dolls. Jessica Found us a free pattern from www.mommysewpretty.blog.com

This pattern tutorial is one I am so thrilled to see, having just recently received a pattern for a doll carrier with less then fantastic instructions. These wonderful photos will go a long way into helping me create one of my own for my nieces.
A huge thank you to Jessica T and www.mommysewpretty.blog.com for this tutorial! If you are sewing along or crafting along with us this year be sure to save this tutorial for your files! Any young doll lover would be thrilled to have this wonderful gift!
As with all our posts we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us a karenmowen@gmail.com

Keep The Holidays With You All Year-Let's Work On Advent Calenders or Hanukkah Pockets Together In 2014

If you are one of my readers who has been enjoying the Advent posts this year and thought to yourself for even one moment, that would be a fun project to do for next year, I have proposal for you. Let's work on it together in 2014.

  ** If you are one of my wonderful readers who celebrates Hanukkah and would like to join in the fun by creating an 8 pocket Hanukkah Calender, I hope you too will join in the fun.

I propose that we work on projects from January to November so that you will have at least one Dolly Advent Calender to give or enjoy for the Advent Season.  I hope to share with you several projects over the next year, that even the most novice of crafter and seamstress can create to fill your pockets with handmade dolly delights and fun finds! Maybe you want to get together with a friend or family and make one to exchange, home school families, girl scout groups, churches, community groups are welcome to join in the fun! I will provide tutorials here on my blog, links to free patterns to use, continue to post dolly fun finds and pocket ideas all year long, you just have to join in the fun!

Maybe you want to make one for your daughter, grand daughter, niece, friend or make one for yourself. Maybe you want to work on several at once. It is all up to you.

To begin with I suggest you start by purchasing a 24 pocket (or smaller for my friends doing 8 pockets, hey here is a thought, how about even a 12 days of Christmas Pockets, if the thought of 24 is overwhelming...the choice is up to you!) We got ours at Walmart for under $7. I know they are available in both Canada and The USA. Buy one as soon as possible and Hang it up now. Find a spot to hang it up so that you can fill the pockets as you create or locate items for your calender for next season! You can wrap as you go or fill and wrap just before gift giving.

 

You can make your pockets for your 18 inch, 15 inch Bitty Baby's or Twins, Mini dolls, Boy dolls and more!

Even if I motivate only a few of you to participate this year I will be happy. Knowing that the fun I have each year is multiplied by even one of you, knowing the fun you are going to all have next year I will be so pleased!

So why not join me in 2014 and Craft Along With Me to Create your own Advent or Hanukkah Holiday Pockets! You can email me your ideas, photos of your progress and suggestions all year.

I hope to hear from some of you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Happy 8th Night of Hanukkah!

We hope that your Hanukkah Celebration has been truly blessed. Thank you for joining us for Hanukkah on this 8th and final night this year. As with all our posts we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Happy 7th Night of Hanukkah!

As with all our posts we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Happy 6th Night of Hanukkah!

 Tonight's Recipe from http://hanukkah.123holiday.net/hanukkah_recipes.html
SWEET-POTATO LATKES
Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Stir together potatoes, scallions, flour, eggs, salt, and pepper.

Heat oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4, spoon 1/8 cup potato mixture per latke into oil and flatten to 3-inch diameter with a slotted spatula. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer latkes with spatula to paper towels to drain.

Makes about 26 pancakes.
As with all our posts we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Happy 5th Night of Hanukkah!

 

Tonight's Poem  is from www.poemsforfree.com

Cheerful lights dance within your window,
Happy to dispel a bit of darkness.
As you display your faith, remember when
No light was light enough to light the wind.
Underneath our joy there must be sorrow
Kindled by a willing act of witness,
A turn to share in love again, again,
Horrors that we would not leave behind.
As with all our posts we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Happy 4th Night of Hanukkah!

 

Hanukkah Poem from 123holiday.net

Nun, gimel, heh, and shin,

See the wooden dreidel spin.
Nes gadol hayah shin,
If I'm lucky I will win!

I play with my new dreidel
upon the shiny floor.
I ask some friends to play with me-
we must have two or more.

I give the players pennies-
the same amount to each.
We sit down in a circle,
the pennies within reach.
Each player puts a penny
in the proper spot.
The middle of the circle
is what we call the pot.

Next I take the dreidel
and spin it round and round.
Which letter does it land on?
What fortune have I found?

I read the letter facing up-
it tells me how to play.
The letters are in Hebrew,
and here is what they say.

Nun means I do nothing-
I neither give nor take.
Heh means I take half the pot-
what a lucky break!

Gimel means I take it all.
It looks as if I'll win!
But I must put a penny back
when it lands on shin.

We go around the circle-
it's lots and lots of fun,
till one has all the pennies.
Then the game is done!

Nun, gimel, heh, and shin,
See the wooden dreidel spin.
Nes gadol hayah sham,
If I'm lucky I will win!
As with all our posts we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Happy 2nd Night of Hanukkah!

Wishing you and your family a very Happy 2nd Night of Hanukkah!

Hanukkah Poem from 123holiday.net
Joyous Hanukkah!
Eva Grant

At last! At last! Hanukkah is here!
The whole house is bursting with holiday cheer.

Pancakes are sizzling as hard as they can,
Browning delectably crisp in the pan.

The dreidels can scarcely wait to be spun;
Presents are hidden for Hanukkah fun;

And there, on the table, polished and bright,
The shining menorah gleams through the night,

Like the oil lamp in ancient history,
That burned on and on miraculously!

And each flaming candle proclaims the great story
Of the Maccabean heroes, their deeds and their glory.

As with all our posts we would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Happy Hanukkah

 

This year Hanukkah is celebrated from November 27 to December 5th. As the sunsets today I wish you and your family a very Happy Hanukkah!

From all of us hear at Karen Mom of Three's Craft blog.

To learn more about Hanukkah from previous posts here on my blog type in Hanukkah in the search engine or click here

Hanukkah Poem from 123holiday.net

Let's be Happy
Malvine P. Hoenig

Let's be happy, let us cheer,
Hanukkah again is here.
All the lights are shining bright,
Isn't it a lovely sight?

You know these lights remind us
Of the time long, long ago,
When God caused one,
tiny light,
for eight long days to shine so bright.

As with all our posts we would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us at karenmowen@gmail.com

Dolly Advent or 8 Hanukkah Gift Pocket Ideas

Both Advent and Hanukkah are fast approaching and for the last few years I have shared how I have made and sent out doll sized advent calenders within  my own swap group. Today I wanted to share with you those posts and show you how you can start your own Dolly Advent Calender or Hanukkah gift holder for your own families.

The above photo is the first Advent Calendar Swap I made and traded with in my swap group. http://karenmomofthreescraft.blogspot.ca/2011/11/advent-calendar-of-doll-items-i-have.html is the link to the first calendar I made, click the link to see all the items that went into this fun swap.

Last year we had this great idea in our group to all purchase a 24 pocket shoe organizer from Walmart and fill each pocket with items for dolls from our swap group. I loved having this on the outside of my door and every morning getting up to see what my partner had made!

Around the same time www.designmegillah.com published a similar idea for Hanukkah which is so brilliant! This photo is from this post http://karenmomofthreescraft.blogspot.ca/2012/12/a-hannukkah-gift-idea-for-dolls.html you can find the direct link to www.designmegillah.com on that post. (At time of writing this I am not able to hyperlink my previous posts)

So you may be wondering what to put in the pockets. Well it is really fun to see how much you can make but if you feel you are not craft enough,  source your pocket fillings at the dollar store or purchase from Michael's Jo-Anne's, Target, Walmart, ToysRus, Etsy, Ebay or your party store.

For a very small investment you can add so many great doll play items to your pockets. One of my most favorite items to put in the pockets is SHOES!!!
With all the great coupons offered at Michael's and Jo-Anne's Springfield Doll Shoes are the most fun item to get a great deal on. My niece Laura has asked me for doll shoes every year since she was 2 for Christmas. Every Christmas I give her a new pair of Springfield Doll Shoes with her Christmas Gift.
Click this link to see Springfield Doll Shoes on Line http://store.springfielddolls.com/shoes.html

This year I am so impressed with what Our Generation is coming out with, offered at Target and under $6 you can find sets like these which will help you fill your pockets, wrap each pair individually and you have 4 out of 24 pockets complete!

 

Also available for  a minimal cost are these shoes and boots offered at Walmart stores, these shoes will fit most 18 inch dolls and are offered under $3 in store. I was hoping to share with you a photo of the hairbrush that they sell, which I have purchased several of but at time of publishing I can not locate mine. A doll hairbrush is a great pocket stuffer!

Hair elastics like these are sold at my dollar store and I usually keep a few thousand on hand! You get anywhere from 300-500 in a package for around $1.25 where I live and you can add these easily to your pockets as is or put them into small containers and spread them out. This is a great item for those of you making a calender for more then one doll lover in your life as well. A little goes a long way! Group them by color or handfuls!

My dollar store also has so many of these fun erasers that double as great doll play food. Don't like sushi? They have so much more from desserts to hamburgers and even dolly iphones. Check in the Stationary section or Party Section of your local stores.

 

My Party Store has these in characters or plain some even have a working flash!

Other ideas for pockets are doll outfits, Mini Dolls get them on line at http://www.bookdepository.com/Caroline-Abbott-1812-Mini-Doll-American-Girl/9781609581015

often The Book Depository has the mini dolls $5 less then AG in store or on line!

 

Fill two pockets with sets like these from The Book Depository, sold under $25 and they have FREE SHIPPING all the time  http://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=american+girl+pets&search=Find+book

A large assortment of American Girl books are waiting to find new homes at your local book stores. I found and rescued all of these books shown above at thrift stores! Often for less then $1 each!

New or Used these books make great pocket fillers.

Remember not everything has to be Dolly Related you can always put a notebook, stickers, chocolate, candy, socks and more for your pockets if you have trouble making them all be doll related.  

I hope you have been inspired by today's post and that you will give this a try this holiday season. If you have any questions or need ideas you can always contact me by email at karenmowen@gmail.com

As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com